Leisure

The Telegraph

Death noose in hotel room

Calcutta/Jamshedpur: A 35-year-old entrepreneur from Jamshedpur was found hanging in a hotel room in Calcutta on Sunday morning, with preliminary investigations indicating losses in business.

Employees of the hotel in Beckbagan broke open the door to find Utsav Khullar hanging from a rope noose. Police said a suicide note found in the room held no one responsible for his death.

"Another note was found on a table, next to Rs 10,000 cash in Rs 2,000 notes, requesting the hotel authorities to take the money as room rent, food charges and whatever remained as compensation for his act of killing himself in the room," said an officer of Shakespeare Sarani police station in Calcutta.

Utsav, a bachelor, was the son of Vinod Khullar, a resident of Beldih Lake area in Dhatkidih, Bistupur. The Khullars own an industrial unit in Jugsalai and he was looking after the family business. They are also the former owners of the popular Novelty restaurant in Bistupur.

The young entrepreneur had checked in at the hotel on Saturday evening. He did not order morning tea or breakfast. The room service people tried to contact him through intercom, but the phone kept ringing. One employee banged on the door repeatedly, but there was no response. The hotel staff then decided to break open the door.

"The man was here on a business trip. We came to know of his residential address from the Aadhaar card details he had submitted at the time of checking in. Jharkhand police have been contacted," said an officer in Calcutta.

In Jamshedpur, relatives and friends were in shock.

"Utsav was like my son. I can't believe it. Business was not bad. Why did he kill himself?" said K.K. Mohanty who identified himself as a friend of Vinod Khullar.

"Some relatives have gone to Calcutta to bring back the body. An autopsy was done at a hospital in Bhowanipore. We expect the body to arrive tonight (Monday)," he added.

A relative said Utsav had an elder brother who stayed in Bangalore and was on his way home after receiving the tragic news. "Utsav didn't marry because he was so busy being involved with the family business," the relative observed, adding that the entrepreneur had last spoken to his parents on Saturday evening and said he would be back home by Tuesday morning.